The colour of your grout is very important - it can make or break your piece. Grouting unites the mosaic and highlights the layout of the tiles. We've included some handy hints to help you achieve the results you're after.
Steps
-
Choose the right colour. The colour of your grout should contrast the colours of the tiles so that the design is highlighted. If the colour of your grout blends in with your tiles the individual tiles will be lost and the mosaic will look more like a picture than a mosaic. Follow these guidelines:
- White grout can appear very harsh as it will draw the eye to the gaps rather than the coloured tiles. In saying that it compliments lighter tones so it is very good for showing off pale mosaics, but when used with strong bright colours it will produce a mediterranean feel.
- Dark grout unifies darker coloured tesserae and segregates lighter ones.
- Grey grout enhances most coloured tesserae and has the most unifying effect of all the coloured grouts.
- Acquire coloured grout. You can buy pre-mixed coloured grout, use grout colourants, cement oxides or use acrylic paints. I have even heard that food colouring can be used. I haven't used acrylic paints to colour grout and there seems to be varying opinions on how successful it is. I've read that it requires lots of paint, can produce a pale coloured grout and may affect the integrity of the grout itself.
- Fix grout colours if needed.I've read a number of articles that suggest applying acrylic paint over the grout to change its colour. I'd recommend testing this first, although if you've used the wrong coloured grout you probably don't have much to lose at this stage.
- Be careful using different coloured grouts within the same project. Using different coloured grouts in the same project is fiddly and tricky. Start with the lighter coloured grout first and clean up any edges prior to applying the darker grout. I use a cleaning tool that I picked up when doing ceramics, it has a sharp pointed blade at one end and a curved blade at the other. Once you've applied the lighter grout carefully cover it with masking tape and apply the darker grout. Be careful that the darker grout doesn't seep through to the lighter grout. If the darker grout does seep through you should be able to remove it with a sharp instrument or file. Warning - Patience is required to achieve a good result.
- Be aware that the colour of the grout changes as it dries. So, if your uncertain of how it will look when it is dried I'd recommend mixing up a test batch.
Warnings
- Please wear appropriate safety equipment when cutting mosaic materials an using grouts and adhesives.
- Keep mosaic materials and tools safely away from children
